India Contemplates Launch Of National Energy Storage Mission

India’s renewable energy targets will see massive amounts of capacity added to the grid over a very short period of time. The Indian government is looking at ways to minimize its impact on the existing grid.

According to media reports, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is contemplating the launch of a National Energy Storage Mission. An official of the Ministry stated the idea is being looked at, without giving any details.

A possible energy storage policy would most likely be linked with the solar or wind energy policy. Recently, the Solar Energy Corporation of India announced that it will launch a 750 MW solar power tender for the state of Andhra Pradesh. A supplementary tender for setting up 100 MW of energy storage capacity will also be floated.

The tender is expected to attract several international companies. Chinese battery maker BYD and Canada-based project developer SkyPower Global have entered an agreement to bid for solar power projects in India. As per media reports, the companies are likely to bid for this energy storage project as well.

Substantial potential remains for the expansion of similar energy storage facilities across India. The government has already identified sites across 21 states to set up 19,900 MW of solar parks, including the one mentioned above located in Andhra Pradesh. The government recently announced plans to set up an additional 20 GW in the form of solar parks.

In order to insulate the existing grid from the intermittent nature of power generated from renewable energy projects, the Indian government is also working to set up dedicated transmission projects to handle the power from renewable energy projects.

About the Author

Smiti works as a senior solar engineer at a reputed engineering and management consultancy. She has conducted due diligence of several solar PV projects in India and Southeast Asia. She has keen interest in renewable energy, green buildings, environmental sustainability, and biofuels. She currently resides in New Delhi, India.

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